Problem Statement The company Academy Roofing shares little detailed information about its products on the company website. If a potential customer wishes to learn about the company’s products, select a particular product (chiefly the type and color of shingle he or she would like), obtain a quote, and place an order, he or she must arrange an in-person meeting with a company salesperson. These meetings are an inconvenience to the potential customer, who must take a day off of work to meet with a salesperson. The meetings are also burdensome for Academy Roofing, as company salespeople spend much of their time meeting with potential customers who do not make a purchase, as these potential customers do not realize until after the meeting they are uninterested in any of the company’s products. These issues may be causing Academy Roofing to lose out on profits, as some potential customers may not want to meet with a …show more content…
Consumers are generally more satisfied with the online platform of a retailer than with the physical locations of the retailer (Dubas, Hershey, & Dubas, 2015), suggesting a potential customer who utilizes the online sales platform may be more likely to make a purchase than a customer who has no foreknowledge of the company’s products and must meet with a salesperson. Overall, online sales increased 2.4% between March and April 2016, while conventional retailers have been experiencing their worst sales since 2008 (Morath & Kapner, 2016). However, Sinha and Singh (2016) found that some consumers do not use ecommerce platforms because they suspect online descriptions of products are inaccurate. In light of these findings, how does the presence of an online sales platform relate to Academy Roofing’s profit from new residential